Sarnia-Lambton charities are banding together to encourage giving during what is one of the busiest retail weekends.

Anita Minelly, executive director of the Bluewater Health Foundation, says 26 charities are part of Giving Tuesday.

“It started in the States a couple of years ago,” she says. In the US, millions of people flock to the malls after Thanksgiving in a shopping event which has been dubbed Black Friday. With online shopping taking off, Cyber Monday came next. A group of charities decided to give people the opportunity to give online the next day and started Giving Tuesday.

Minelly shared the idea with her co-workers and then with other charities and it took off. “There is more visibility in the community if we do it as a group.”

From now until Dec. 31, you can send a one-time donation by texting SLGIVES to 20222. The charities hope to raise $100,000 which will be divided equally.

For those who would rather give online, Minelly says you can go to the sarnialambtongives.ca website.

Aside from raising much needed cash, Minelly says the campaign helps reach a demographic which is often left out. “With the social media campaign were trying to engage a younger demographic,” she says.

“Christmas is so commercialized…yes its nice to give gifts but its also nice to donate whether its $5 or $500 every little bit helps.”